Being a beauty blogger for the last three years has opened up a whole world of tips and tricks that I never knew about. There are so many that I now carry out on a regular basis where some of them have actually become part of my daily routine. A prime example of that (pun completely intended) has been that of incorporating a primer into my make up routine.
Over the last few years I have tried a fair few of which there have been a variety of different brands, price points and indeed opinions. Primers have always been the type of product that I have never quite managed to feel satisfied with as I have always been left wondering if there was something better out there. One of the most recent primers that I have being using is Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch* primer which I have to say had a lot of very good feedback from some of my favourite bloggers therefore I was very intrigued as to how well it would work for me.
Aimed at a range of different skin types this is likely to be a primer that is worth considering trying out if you haven’t already. It has a cream like texture which is incredibly smooth; this allows it to glide onto the skin beautifully. The texture for me reminds me somewhat of Benefit Porefessional however they are different in colour, I also feel that once applied that the Clarins version feels smoother on the skin although the difference is very small. The Clarins primer does not feel heavy at all and helps to provide an almost veil like layer over any imperfections. In particular I have noticed that it cover areas of dryness very well, in fact, I think that it does this better than any other primer that I have tried to date.
Upon use I tend to apply three dots of the primer, one on my forehead and one on either cheek and then I simply rub it in gently across my face all whilst focusing on any areas where I know my make up tends to fade first; this is always around my nose and my chin. Once applied my skin is prepped and ready for my make up base of choice which currently is either my Nars Sheer Glow foundation or the new Laura Mercier Silk Creme* foundation.
In terms of longevity I really have noticed that when I get home from work or after I have been out that my make up is lasting a lot longer. Whilst it will never look as good as when I first applied it several hours before I do think that this primer has made a noticeable difference. In fact when I first started testing this out I had originally forgot that I was testing out the primer and had been shocked at just how good my make up was looking six hours later, it didn’t take me too long to think back and realise what it had been that I had used that morning.
In order to keep things balanced I do like to say where I think this product can be improved and that for me is simple. It would be lovely to see this in a little tube of some sort as it would be a lot my hygienic that way. Clarins have tried to tackle this issue to an extent as this does come with a little spatula of sorts however let’s be honest, I don’t think many of us will stick to using those for long; I have already lost mine.
For me this is without a doubt a great product and is whole heartedly one that I will be purchasing in the future once this current pot runs out.
